Sorry, I posted this a few days ago in the wrong forum, and got no answers.

6.0. 115,000 miles. Everything stock, except bully dog intake filter.

I replaced the FICM recently, with one that I bought from the guy who makes those cool You Tube videos, Diesel Tech Ron. I also replaced the EGR valve. I also replaced the intercooler boots on the hot side. I cleaned the intercooler pipes. I cleaned the intake filter as well. I'm still blowing out black smoke, if I floor it when I need to pass someone.


Follow up question: I bought those boots from Riff Raff Diesel and I bought new clamps, too. I'm not sure if I installed correctly. It's already blown one off (it blew the top of the intercooler pipe off, by the turbo, but the boot stays on the turbo) and I put it back on and tightened it all the way down, and I've had to re-adjust 2 times, now, since it acts like it still wants to slip off. Do I simply have the other ones mis-aligned???

 

Are you running any tunes?

 

are you running a tune other than stock? My truck gets pretty smoky on performance tunes and still lets out a little black smoke on my stock tune and my economy tune.

I just installed the riffraff boots on my truck a few days ago and reused the stock clamps. Did you clean the boots and pipes before installing? I used de-greaser on a shop towel to clean mine and haven't had any issues yet, even at 28psi of boost.

 

Not that I know of. Honestly, I don't even know what that term really means, so I guess the answer is no.

Diesel Tech Ron says he programs the FICMS so they help your truck run better, but I don't think that's what you're talking about.

 

I cleaned the pipes really good, but I did NOT clean the new boots. I sort of think I might not have it all lined up exactly right and it's just at a bad angle.

 

There is another guy I know of who programs FICMs upon request. His FICM programming mainly adds a little more fuel, which makes the injectors happy and adds power, but can result in a little more black smoke.

How much black smoke are we talking here? a little puff on hard acceration, or enough to **** people off? A lot of excessive smoke could indicate an injector is over-fueling.

 

Why is everyone glazing over Ed. He is where you get your FICM from. Just sayin.

Ficmrepair.com

 

I'll bet your turbo vanes are sticking. You're right at the mileage that they start to stick. Do you have the torque app or a scanguage? Monitor VGT and see if it ranges from 85 at idle to 15 at WOT. If it hovers in the 45-60 range all of the time, the turbo is stuck.

 

Did you just buy the truck? Someone could have left it tuned at trade in or how ever the dealer got it

 

No, I bought it in 2009 with 55,000 miles on it, but, I've done a lot of work on it this year. I try to follow the maintenance schedules.

 

This is what I need to know. Tnx. Yeah, I have a scan gauge 2. I will definitely check this.

So, supposing they are stuck, can I fix it, or do I have to get a new turbo? Tnx.

 

I've yet to clean mine, but I bet you could have it out cleaned and back in in about 4 hours or less. There is an Oring kit you will want to buy before you dig in to it.... Don't know the part number.

There are some good videos on YouTube that walk you thru the process.

 

I think this is actually the other way around. Your VGT should stay around 40-65% most of the time. If it's at 85% at idle that means it is likely sticking. I could be wrong but that's what I was just reading.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ot-idle-2.html

 

For what it's worth, I get black smoke when I romp on it but it always clears up after a couple seconds. Your FICM tune is probably part of why it does that, and shouldn't be a problem.

 

Nope, Mine was stuck solid at 65. It would not move no matter where the throttle was at. I also had P0299 and was unable to "burp" the turbo. Upon disassembly it was found that the unison ring was fused to the housing back plate. It was also noted that during the months prior to the unison ring fusing at 65, the VGT operated at a reduced range (45-65) before eventually sticking at 65.

After rebuilding the turbo, cleaning the vanes and polishing the journal where the unison ring rides, the VGT range is now 15 at WOT, high rpm and 85 at idle. This is the result every time, every day. It proves that this is the actual proper operation of the VGT.

I read through that thread you posted and it seems most who are claiming that their range is between 45-65 have P0299 problems in other posts, or have asked questions about how to clean their turbo vanes.